Huawei B900 AI Cube Router Review

At IFA 2018, Huawei presented a new device named “Huawei AI Cube(B900-230)”. The Huawei AI Cube is a smart speaker equipped with Amazon Alexa, an audio assistant developed by Amazon in the US. In addition to its function as a smart speaker, it also has a function as a stationary LTE wireless router. Huawei B900 AI Cube combines a 4G Modem, a home WiFi router, high-end 360-degree wireless speaker, and a Huawei-Amazon collaboration that promises Alexa integration and some not-yet-articulated AI capabilities.

Huawei B900 AI Cube Appearance

The Huawei B900 AI Cube looks a little bit similar to its predecessor Huawei B528 but there is the obvious difference. On the top, there are three keys available: one volume up key, one volume down key, and one mute key. On the body, there are three LED indicators for Signal, WiFi and LAN. However, unlike the latest Huawei B618s-22d WiFi router, there is no connector for the external antenna in the B900 AI Cube.

Below the indicators, there are two buttons: Power and WPS buttons. On the bottom of the Huawei B900 WiFi router, the product name Huawei B900-230, IP address (192.168.1.1), User name(admin), SSID, WiFi key, WPS pin, Power input and Made in China information are listed on the bottom label.

 

The SIM card slot is also at the bottom with the Reset hole. The Huawei B900 WiFi cube uses Micro SIM card size. Below the IMEI & S/N number label, there is an Ethernet port for LAN and WAN. The power plug port is at the side of the Ethernet port.

Huawei AI Cube B900 Smart Speaker Function

 

The Huawei B900 AI Cube Router can be controlled via voice assistant Alexa with around 50,000 voice commands. For example, the router can play music or Internet radio through the built-in speaker. Smart home hardware such as TVs, Wi-Fi bulbs or refrigerators can also be controlled, as long as they are compatible with Amazon Alexa.

 

Huawei B900 Specifications

As a stationary LTE WiFi router, the Huawei B900-230 cube could achieve download speed up to 300Mbps and upload speed to 50mbps. It has 802.11ac with dual-band Wi-Fi, in total up to 1.200 MBit/s are attainable over WLAN according to Huawei.. You get four microphones with far-field voice recognition. How many users could be connected with the cube is unknown yet, but we list the general specifications of Huawei B900 AI Cube for reference:

 

* Support 4G LTE Band B1/B3/B7/B8/B20/B32/B38

* Support 4G LTE Cat.6 2CC Technology

– CA Bands: CA_3C/CA_7C/CA_38C/CA_1A-8A/CA_1A-20A/CA_3A-7A/CA_3A-8A/CA_3A-20A/CA_7A-8A/CA_7A-20A/CA_20A-32A/

* Support 3G UMTS/WCDMA/HSPA+ B1/B8

* LTE download speed to 300mbps, upload speed to 50mbps

* WLAN: WiFi 802.111a/b/g/n/ac, dual-band(2.4GHz & 5GHz), 2 x 2 MIMO, 2 x 2 DBDC(Dual-band, dual-carrier)

* External Antenna connector: No

* SIM Card size: Micro SIM (3FF)

* Interfaces:

– 1 x RJ-45 for data, GE

– 1 x SIM Card slot (3FF), 1 x power interface

– 1 x Hi Key/ 1 x Reset Key/ 1 x Power key

– 2 x Voice + – / 1 x Mute Key / 1 x Pause Key

* Speaker: 15W Mono Speaker

* Voice Input: 4 x Microphones

* Main features: Huawei Hilink, Huawei Histen, Amazon Alexa, Far Field Voice Recognition

* Power: AC 100V – 240V, DC 12V, 2A

* Dimensions: 218mm (height) x 116mm (diameter)

* Weight: 900g

 

Huawei said the Europe version would be available around the end of 2018, but not mention about the availability for US market. Regarding the Huawei B900 AI Cube price, Huawei didn’t give any information. We have to wait for the news from Huawei.

 

 

 

 

Huawei B612 VS Huawei B525

As we had introduced few Huawei 4G Cat.6 routers such as Huawei B525, B528, B529 and E5186, Huawei released a new LTE Cat.6 modem named Huawei B612. Like Huawei B525 4G Router, the Huawei B612 router cat.6 was firstly available in some countries for specific network providers. Somebody may ask: What the difference between the Huawei B525 and Huawei B612 Router? What has been improved on this new 4G Cat.6 router? We will compare the Huawei B612 Specs & features with Huawei B525 specs & features to let you know more about the two Huawei 4G Router Cat.6.

Huawei B612 VS Huawei B525 Appearance and Interfaces

If you have read our blog about Huawei B525, you may be familiar with the appearance of Huawei B525, it’s in a traditional router design. On the front, there are five indicators to show the power, mode, WiFi, LAN and signal status. On the back of Huawei B525 4G, there are two connectors for external LTE antennas which are covered by a long cap. Four Ethernet ports are available, among which 3 is for LAN and one is for both LAN and WAN. One RJ11 telephone port and one USB port is at the side of the Ethernet ports. The SIM card slot is at the bottom of the Huawei B525 modem with the label showing the model number and other corresponding information about the router.

 

Like the Huawei B525, Huawei B612 router also has five LED indicators to show the power, internet, WiFi, LAN/WAN and signal status, and they both have the power button and WPS on the top edge side. The Huawei B612 also uses Micro SIM card and the SIM card slot is at the bottom. It also has two connectors for external antennas. Four Ethernet ports are available, in them, 3 are for LAN and one for both LAN & WAN. And it also has one telephone port. But there is no USB port in the Huawei B612 Router. The total appearance and interfaces are very similar to Huawei B525. The difference is Huawei B612 4G has an angled backrest, where the SSID and WiFi key are printed.

 

Huawei B525 VS Huawei B612 Specs and Features

With similar appearance, we can’t tell what the real difference is. Then let’s compare the Huawei B525 Specs and Huawei B612 Specs for more details:

 

Model Huawei B612 Huawei B525
Product type Huawei WiFi Router with Ethernet port Huawei WiFi Router with Ethernet port
Category LTE Cat.6 LTE Cat.6
Chipset HiSilicon LTE Cat6 Chipset HiSilicon LTE Cat6 Chipset
Data rates DL 300Mbps/UL 50Mbps DL 300Mbps/UL 50Mbps
Supported 4G LTE frequency bands Huawei B612s-25d:  B1/B3/B7/B8/B20/B38/B40/B41/B42/B43
Huawei B612s-51d: B2/B4/B5/B7/B41
Huawei B525s-23a: Band  1/3/7/8/20/32/38
Huawei B525s-65a: Band  1/3/4/5/7/8/20/19/26/28/32/38/40/41
WLAN 802.11 b/g/n/ac, single-band 2.4GHz 802.11a/b/g/n/ac, dual-band 2.4GHz & 5GHz
Max supported users 32 users 64 users
MIMO 4 x 4 MIMO 2 x 2 MIMO
Connector for external antenna Two, SMA-female jacks Two, SMA-female jacks
Buy Antenna Huawei B612 external antenna Huawei B525 external antenna
App management Huawei Hilink APP Huawei Hilink APP
SIM Size Micro SIM Micro SIM
Battery NO NO
Dimensions 240 × 155 × 78 mm 163 x 52 x 226 mm
Interfaces * 3 x LAN port(RJ45)
* 1 x LAN/WAN port (RJ45)
* 1 x telephone port(RJ11)
* Two external LTE antenna ports (SMA-female)
* One micro-SIM card slot
* 1 x USB 2.0 port
* 3 x LAN port(45)
* 1 x LAN/WAN port (45)
* 1 x telephone port(RJ11)
* Two external LTE antenna ports(SMA-female)
* One micro-SIM card slot
* 1 x USB 2.0 port
Datasheet Huawei B612 Datasheet(PDF) Huawei B525 Datasheet(PDF)
User Manual Huawei B612 User Manual(PDF) Huawei B525 User Manual(PDF)
Other features  Firewall, CS Voice, VoIP, VoLTE, IPv6/IPv4 dual stack, NAT, DHCP, VPN, DMZ, UPnP, ALG  Firewall, CS Voice, VoIP, TR069 Remote Management, HTTP Online Upgrade, QoS, USB Share, UPnP, IPV6, DLNA, Fax, Print, VPN
Firmware download Huawei B612 firmware Huawei B525 firmware
Driver Huawei B612 driver Huawei B525 driver
Reviews Huawei B612 Review Huawei B525 Review
Price/USD 399.00USD 259.00USD

 

Summary

From the specs, we can see Huawei B612 and B525 are both 4G Cat.6 routers, which could achieve download speed up to 300mbps and upload speed to 50Mbps. The difference is Huawei B612 supports single WiFi band 2.4GHz while B525 supports dual-band WiFi. Huawei B525 4G modem could support up to 64 wireless devices while Huawei B612 router supports only half devices to 32 units. However, Huawei B612 adopts 4 X 4 MIMO technologies for wireless data transmission while Huawei B525 uses 2 X 2 MIMO. Other features of the two Huawei 4G LTE Cat.6 routers are very similar. Perhaps because the Huawei B612 is newly released, the price is higher than Huawei B525 price. But we suppose the Huawei B612 price would be adjusted down because the Huawei B612 specs are not better than Huawei B525 to some extent.

 

The Huawei B525 and B612 routers both have two variant models for difference LTE frequency bands. If you would buy one router, you’d better check the which one is compatible with your network provider. Based on the difference, we think it’s not hard to buy a Huawei LTE Cat.6 router from the two 4G LTE WiFi Routers.

Huawei B525 VS Huawei B528 LTE CPE

Huawei released a series of LTE cubes for LTE-A or LTE-A Pro networks. Some people want to change their 3G router or ADSL router to 4G LTE Router or 4G LTE Cube, however, for those who don’t know well about Huawei routers, they may have trouble to choose the Huawei 4G WiFi router or Huawei LTE Cubes. Huawei B525 and Huawei B528 are two typical WiFi routers, but what’s the difference between Huawei B528 and B525, and which one is better for home or office gateway. In this article, you will find the answer from our comparison.

 

Huawei B528 VS Huawei B525 Appearance and Interfaces

As the new Huawei LTE Advanced router, Huawei Router B525 is a traditional stationary router. On the front, there are five indicators for Power, Mode, WiFi, LAN, and Signal. The Huawei B525 LTE WiFi router could stand on the desktop and in white or black colors. There are 4 LAN ports (One of them for WAN/LAN), One telephone port and one USB 2.0 port. However, if you see the Huawei B528, you would be attracted by the cool design. The Huawei B528 looks like the latest Huawei B818 5G CPE; they are both in the shape of a column. The white color Huawei B528 makes it look good when standing with the modern furniture. The LED indicators are also available, including Signal, LAN, WiFi, and Power. The power button is below the indicators. On the back, there is only one LAN port (RJ45) and one VoIP port(RJ11).

 

As the standard configuration for Huawei Router with Ethernet port, two connectors for external antennas are available. The connectors in Huawei B525 are SMA-female while the Huawei B528 has two TS-9 connectors. If you want to buy Huawei B525 antenna, the connector in the antenna should be SMA-male. And if you want to use the antenna with Huawei B528, you need an SMA-to-TS-9 adapter. The two routers both use Micro SIM card size, and the SIM card slots are both located at the bottom of the router. Some customers who are not familiar with the router may don’t know where to plug the SIM card in.

Huawei B525 VS Huawei B528 Specs and Variant Models

If you had read our review about Huawei B525, you may know Huawei B525 has two variant models in the market: B525s-23a and B525s-65a. The Huawei B528 has only one variant model B528s-23a, which is available for Vodafone and get a new name “GigaCube”. From the appearance, you may still have questions about the difference between the two routers and which one is better. Below the table including the specs, interfaces, speed, antenna, manual, datasheet, WLAN, price and other features will tell you.

 

 

Model Huawei B525s-23a/B525s-65a Huawei B528s-23a
Product type LTE WiFi Router LTE WiFi Router
Category LTE Cat.6 LTE Cat.6
Chipset HiSilicon LTE Cat6 Chipset HiSilicon Balong 722
Data rates DL 300Mbps/UL 50Mbps DL 300Mbps/UL 50Mbps
Supported 4G LTE frequency bands B525s-23a: Band 1/3/7/8/20/32/38
B525s-65a: Band 1/3/4/5/7/8/20/19/26/28/32/38/40/41
LTE B1, B3, B7, B8, B20, B32, B38
WLAN 802.11a/b/g/n/ac, dual-band 2.4GHz & 5GHz 802.11a/b/g/n/ac, dual-band 2.4GHz & 5GHz
Max support users 64 users 64 users
MIMO 2 x 2 MIMO 2 x 2 MIMO
Connector for external antenna Two, SMA-female jacks Two, TS-9 jacks
App management Huawei Hilink APP Huawei Hilink APP
SIM type Micro SIM Micro SIM
Battery NO NO
Dimensions 163 mm x 52 mm x 226 mm 105 mm x 90mm x 181 mm
Interfaces * 1 x power adapter port
* 3 x LAN port(45)
* 1 x LAN/WAN port (45)
* 1 x telephone port(RJ11)
* Two external LTE antenna ports (SMA)
* One micro-SIM card slot
* 1 x USB 2.0 port
* 1 x Gigabit LAN (RJ45)
* 1 x RJ11 (VoIP)
Datasheet Huawei B525 Datasheet Huawei B528 Datasheet
User Manual Huawei B525 Manual Huawei B528 Manual
Other features NAT, DHCP, VPN, SMS, VoIP, CS Voice, Firewall, DMZ, UPnP, ALG,  IPv4 /IPv6 dual stack IPv4 /IPv6 dual stack
Reviews Huawei B525 Review Huawei B528s-23a Review
Price/USD 299.00USD 399.00USD

 

Conclusion

 

Huawei B525 and Huawei B528 (Vodafone Gigacube unlocked) are both LTE Cat.6 wireless router, which could achieve downloads speed up to 300Mbps and upload speed to 50Mbps. Ignoring the appearance and design, the interfaces (Ethernet ports and telephone port) are the main difference which should be the important concern before buying a 4G LTE WiFi Router. If you have many terminals to get network via Ethernet, then Huawei B525 LTE CPE is the right one. If your devices mainly access the internet via WiFi, the Huawei B528 can be considered because it’s really cool as a home router. They both support maximum WiFi-enabled devices up to 62 users, so you don’t need to worry about the connected device quantity is over the limit. By the way, the Huawei B525 variant models support more LTE frequency bands, which make it work well in more areas after unlocked. To summary, the Huawei B525 is more powerful in practical use while Huawei B528 is attracting in design with same specs.

Huawei B525 VS Huawei B529 HomeNet Box

With the popularity of 4G LTE networks, more and more customers are changing their home routers from ADSL to 4G LTE Gateways. Since Huawei router gateway has a good reputation, many end-users are interested in Huawei home router WiFi. However, some of them are unfamiliar with Huawei 4G LTE routers, which may cause them in trouble when trying to buy a Huawei 4G Router, especially the Huawei routers’ names are very similar, for example, the Huawei B525 and B529. From the model number, you can’t identify what’s the difference between the two routers and which one is better. In this article, you will find the answer.

Huawei B525 VS B529 Appearance and Interfaces

From the model number, you may not know the key difference, but once you get the two router in hand, you may find the two name-similar router are very different. The Huawei B525 is a traditional stationary router. On the front, there are few indicators for the internet connection, power, network mode, signal and WiFi. On the back, there are 4 LAN ports (One of them is for WAN/LAN), one RJ45 telephone and one USB 2.0 port. However, the Huawei B529 HomeNet box looks not like a router; it’s in a shape of a cube and looks like a piece of cake, really. The available specific model is Huawei B529s-23a for T-mobile. On the front, there is T-mobile logo with LED indicators of Mode, LAN, WiFi, and Power. Below the LED indicators, the power button and light button. On the back, there is only one Ethernet LAN port for PC with the power plug port. On the upper part, there are two connectors for an external antenna. The connector type is TS-9.

The design of Huawei B529 is very special and we have to mention. In the middle of the Huawei B529, there is a light line which divides the router into two parts. However, unlike its predecessor T-mobile HomeNet box Huawei E5170, the two parts of Huawei B529 cannot be divided. The highlight of Huawei B529 is the built-in battery of 3000mAh, which could let the Huawei B529 working on the go for working around 8-10 hours. The two routers have the similar feature is that the SIM card slot is at the bottom, and they both use micro SIM card size.

 

Huawei B529 VS B525 Specs and Variant Models

To support various LTE frequency bands in different areas, Huawei B525 4g cat6 router has two variant models: Huawei B525s-23a and B525s-65a. Huawei B529 has only one variant model B529s-23a, which is only available for T-mobile. From the appearance, you may not get the key difference and which one is better. Below the table will list the Huawei B525 specs and Huawei B529 specs, and other features. You may reference the two Huawei routers.

 

Model Huawei B525s-23a/B525s-65a Huawei B529s-23a
Product type LTE WiFi Router LTE WiFi Router
Category LTE Cat.6 LTE Cat.6
Chipset HiSilicon LTE Cat6 Chipset HiSilicon LTE Cat6 Chipset
Data rates DL 300Mbps/UL 50Mbps DL 300Mbps/UL 50Mbps
Supported 4G LTE frequency bands B525s-23a: Band 1/3/7/8/20/32/38
B525s-65a: Band 1/3/4/5/7/8/20/19/26/28/32/38/40/41
Band 1/3/7/8/20/32/38
WLAN 802.11a/b/g/n/ac, dual-band 2.4GHz & 5GHz 802.11a/b/g/n/ac, dual-band 2.4GHz & 5GHz
Max support users 64 users 64 users
MIMO 2 x 2 MIMO 2 x 2 MIMO
Connector for external antenna Two, SMA-female jacks, buy Huawei B525 Router antenna Two, TS-9 jacks, buy Huawei B529s-23a external antenna
App management Huawei Hilink APP Huawei Hilink APP
SIM type Micro SIM Micro SIM
Battery NO Yes, non-removable 3000mAh battery
Dimensions 163 mm x 52 mm x 226 mm 120 x 120 x 125mm
Interfaces * 1 x power adapter port
* 3 x LAN port(45)
* 1 x LAN/WAN port (45)
* 1 x telephone port(RJ11)
* Two external LTE antenna ports (SMA)
* One micro-SIM card slot
* 1 x USB 2.0 port
* 1 x power adapter port
* 1 x LAN port(45)
* Two external LTE antenna ports (TS-9)
* One micro-SIM card slot
Datasheet Huawei B525 Datasheet Huawei B529 Datasheet
User Manual Huawei B525 Manual Huawei B529 Manual
Other features NAT, DHCP, VPN, SMS, VoIP, CS Voice, Firewall, DMZ, UPnP, ALG,  IPv4 /IPv6 dual stack  DHCP Server, DNS RELAY and NAT
Reviews Huawei B525 Review Huawei B529 Review
Price/USD 299.00USD 299.00

Conclusion

The Huawei B525 4G fix router and Huawei B529 cube are same level Huawei 4G routers supporting LTE Category 6, which could achieve download speed up to 300mbps. The main difference is on the interface ports and variant models for different LTE frequency bands. Huawei B525 has more Ethernet ports and a telephone port for more terminals. And the Huawei B525s-65a covers all the LTE bands on Huawei B529S-23a. So if you don’t focus on the built-in battery in Huawei B529 Router, the Huawei B525 would be the right one for your home or office. The advantage of Huawei B529 is the non-removable battery, which can make users to take the router outdoor or using it on the go. If you don’t need the Ethernet port or telephone port in Huawei B525, Huawei B529 Router would be the right one for you.

Huawei B529s-23a 4G LTE Cat.6 Router Presented

Huawei had presented a new 4G LTE Category 6 router for network provider T-mobile Austria and named the router “HomeNet Box”. The HomeNet Box is the factory model Huawei B529s-23a.

Huawei B529s-23a (HomeNet Box)

The appearance of HomeNet Box looks cool in black color, just like its predecessor Huawei E5180 Cube and E5170 cube. The design and functions are very similar to Huawei E5170, but the HomeNet Box is with high specifications. The Huawei E5170 can be divided to two parts but Huawei B529s-23a HomeNet Box is a whole part and can’t be divided.

Huawei B529s-23a (HomeNet Box)

The Huawei B529s-23a router is equipped with an RJ45 port for connection via a traditional LAN cable. The built-in battery of 3000mAh can make the Huawei B529 router work as as a mobile internet center for multiple devices at the same time. What’s more, there are two connectors for external antennas available in the body. The connectors are at the back of the device and above the Ethernet port. A small cap just covers the two connectors. The connector type is TS-9. To ensure the fastest possible data transfer, just open the cap and connect an external LTE antenna to the Huawei B529s-23a. We had tested one 4G LTE Indoor antenna for Huawei B529s-23a for users who lives at the areas of weak signal:

http://www.4gltemall.com/4g-antenna-two-ts-9-connector.html

4G LTE Indoor Antenna (2 x TS-9 Connectors) for Huawei/ZTE 4G LTE Modems/dongles/mobile hotspots

 

The great advantage of the router is its appearance, which makes it suitable for modern interiors. LED illumination informs the user of the connection status. There are four indicators to tell the Mode, LAN, WiFi and Power status. Power button is just below the indicators. Like other Huawei LTE Routers, you can control all of your device functions with Huawei HiLink, available from the Google Play store. And you can also log into the web interface to configure the router per your preference such as DHCP Server, DNS RELAY and NAT, along with security services.

Huawei B529s-23a (HomeNet Box)

The Huawei B529s-23a router supports 4G LTE frequency bands B1/3/7/8/20/32/38. In addition, it is also backward with 3G UMTS and 2G GSM networks. With the support of LTE Cat.6, the Huawei B529s-23a delivers up to 300Mbit/s data rates and up to 50Mbit/s data rates. At the same time, up to 32 devices can connect with the B529s-23 router for surfing. The HomeNet Box uses Micro SIM card, if you get a NANO SIM, you’d better use it with an adapter. The latest WiFi standard 802.11 ac is available in the Huawei HomeNet Box on dual-band(2.4GHz and 5GHz).

Huawei B529s-23a (HomeNet Box)

 

In conclusion, the Huawei B529s-23a is a cool router with powerful functions including the support of LTE Cat.6, built-in battery and latest WiFi features. Actually, with the development of LTE technology, more and more network providers upgraded their networks and of course to provide new devices to support higher networks. Here now, the Huawei B525 and Huawei B618 are latest routers with similar or higher specifications. If you want to know more LTE devices, you may follow us.

 

Huawei B529s-23a (HomeNet Box)

Huawei B528s-23a(Vodafone GigaCube) Features and Test

The Huawei-built Vodafone Giga Cube (model number Huawei B528s-23a) is a mobile LTE router that brings Internet-enabled devices in the vicinity to the Internet. As known from the domestic WLAN router, users can use their smartphone, tablet or computer to enter a password into the Giga Cube network and thus connect to the device. The Giga Cube, in turn, connects to the Vodafone LTE mobile network. This is the case with speeds of up to 150 MBit/s on the Internet.

Fast WLAN ac, LTE theoretically with 300 Mbit/s

The Vodafone GigaCube supports the LTE Cat.6 standard  and is therefore theoretically designed for download rates of up to 300 Mbit/s. In the Giga Cube tariff from Vodafone, however, the actual maximum data rate is limited to 150 Mbit/s in the download. In the future, Vodafone should screw the LTE speed up in the tariff and the maximum upload is 50 Mbps.

Thanks to the WLAN specification 802.11 b/g/n/ac, the Giga Cube uses the latest state-of-the-art WLAN technology to provide the best possible data transmission. The transmission in the frequency ranges runs at 2.4 GHz and 5 GHz. The range of the Giga cubes depends, of course, on the local conditions and, for example, on separating walls; In an open environment, LTE routers of this type reach up to 250 meters.

Up to 64 internet-capable devices such as smartphones, tablets or notebooks can be connected to the Giga Cube at the same time via WLAN. Alternatively, a Gigabit LAN port is also available on the back of the device. A TV, a computer or a game console can also be connected to the LTE router via LAN cable.

Surfing only with power supply

For use, the Vodafone Giga Cube is dependent on a permanent power connection. Anyone who wants to be online via the router needs a power supply nearby. At home, in a hotel or in a holiday apartment, this should not be a problem. At the campsite, a power connection is usually also possible. Even if the Giga Cube LTE router does not have a battery, the WLAN from the outlet is nevertheless very flexible.

 

Installation

Installation of the Vodafone Giga Cubes is actually very fast: simply insert valid SIM card into the SIM card slot on the back. Then the Giga Cube is still plugged into the socket. The Giga Cube then automatically dials into the Vodafone mobile network to establish the Internet connection. After that, of course, the used Internet-enabled device must be connected to the LTE router. This is usually done by entering the WLAN password – as is the same as used by the domestic WLAN router.

LTE network Keeping Upgrade

Vodafone has significantly expanded LTE in its mobile network in the last few years and is continuing this expansion on an ongoing basis. The LTE network cover is correspondingly high for Vodafone customers, but there are still areas where no LTE coverage exists. In addition, the maximum possible data rates vary from place to place. Speeds of up to 50 Mbit/s are already available in many places, but higher speeds of up to 150 Mbit/s are more rare. Where no LTE is available, the cube accesses the 3G network (UMTS) or GSM (2G) in an emergency.

All in all, the Internet speed usable with the Vodafone Giga Cube depends on the conditions on site. But even a data rate of 10 Mbit/s and more offers a neat surfing. It is also recommended to set the router for better reception close to the window. Actually, if you use unlocked Vodafone Gigacube or Huawei B528 Cube, you may get much faster speed to 300mbit/s on your own network provider rather than Vodafone.

 

Vodafone GigaCube Test

The Vodafone Gigacube is easy to use. First, the SIM card must be inserted, as soon as the GigaCube is powered, it can then go directly. The Vodafone “WLAN from the socket” is ready. The Internet speed in the Praxistest was quite high. Although we did not reach the maximum possible speed to 150 Mbit/s, the average available is more than 50 Mbps, which is always comfortable Internet surfing. The good LTE network availability in the state capital of Baden-Wuerttemberg does not distort the test result by any means, because Vodafone scores with a high network quality throughout Germany. Currently, more than 90% of the population can use Vodafone LTE.

The LTE network availability fits with the Vodafone GigaCube, in the daily use we had always a very good Internet line available. We also have nothing to complain about in the setup, WLAN-enabled devices can easily be integrated into the home network. This works either by entering a password or by using the WPS button. And Vodafone has also thought of the domestic PC, by means of network cable, the PC can also access internet easily.

If you want, the GigaCube can assign its own network name. After the first time the internet browser is started, the login area for the GigaCube user interface is automatically activated. Here you should also assign your own password directly. After this is done, the current data volume can be viewed here. This is possible on the smartphone or tablet alternatively also by app.

A great advantage of the GigaCube is the flexible use. This allowed us to put the LTE router into operation practically anywhere, only one power supply must be available on site. In the house or apartment it is recommended to place the GigaCube at the place with the best net quality.

 

Summary

Vodafone Gigacube is a good home router needing a power supply when working. It supports fast wireless surfing speed while the Ethernet cable connection is also possible for PC. The Gigacube is easy to setup and connect; management via APP or web interface is possible. If you are considering changing the DSL router, you may consider the Huawei B528 or Vodafone Gigacube for network upgrade with much faster speed.

Vodafone GigaCube (Huawei B528) In First Test

Last month, Vodafone has presented the GigaCube for a package of routers and mobile phone rates. The router is the Huawei B528, which is also without Vodafone branding. Only the outer packaging carries the design of the telecommunication service provider. The GigaCube itself has the manufacturer Huawei’s logo and there is no indication of Vodafone. Now we have the opportunity to have closer look at the GigaCube router.

Not suitable for mobile use

The Vodafone GigaCube is 105 x 105 x 181 millimeters in size. The body is not in small size, so you may not take it in hand like Huawei E5787 mobile WiFi hotspots. For this reason alone, the GigaCube is not suitable for mobile use, but it’s cool for the weekend house, the caravan, the hotel room or the apartment. In addition, there is no inserted battery or replacable battery in the Huawei B528 GigaCube. Instead, the unit is powered only by the included power supply.

As an alternative to WLAN, a notebook can also be connected to the router via a network cable. Such a cable is included with the GigaCube. The connector is located on the back of the device. There is also the socket with which the power supply is connected to the mobile hotspot. Under one flap there are also jacks, via which external antennas can be connected to the GigaCube. The connection for a VoIP telephone, which is also located on the back of the router, has been deactivated according to Vodafone specifications. We could not test this so far.

On the front, we can see not only the on/off switch and the WPS button, but also four light-emitting diodes. These indicate whether the B528 GigaCube is powered, whether the WLAN hotspot is available and whether the LAN port is being used. The fourth LED indicates whether the router is connected to the mobile network.

 

Easy Setup

The GigaCube can be configured via a connected computer, a smartphone or a tablet. The Internet address to configure the router is giga.cube, user need enter it in the Internet browser. The default password for the web front-end is located on the bottom of the router. Here is also the SSID and WLAN password specified. In addition, the SIM card (micro SIM format) slot is located on the underside.

 

After the SIM card is inserted directly and the GigaCube is switched on, the LED for the mobile radio reception is initially red. Reason: The SIM PIN must be entered via the web-based menu if the PIN search on the SIM card has not been switched off, which is at least partly the case with the operator cards defined for the GigaCube. After this, the initial setting can be made. A personalized SSID can be assigned, which can be connected with a special password.

On page 2, you can read about the function in the configuration menu, and to what extent, the GigaCube also allows the use of SIM cards from other networks. During the initial setup, the access data for the router menu can also be adjusted. In addition to own WLAN data for the hotspot on 2.4 GHz, the individualization for 5 GHz is also integrated. The settings can be changed subsequently. Furthermore, the user can decide whether to operate parallel to 2.4 and 5 GHz or only on one of these frequency ranges. In principle, the WLAN function can also be switched off completely if, for example, only a device via a network cable is connected to the router for the Internet access.

 

SIM free & Unlocked

We have also used a SIM card from other network provider such as O2, which has worked smoothly in the GigaCube. Say: The Vodafone GigaCube router was not equipped with a SIM lock or Netlock and it can be used with any operator cards. The access data for foreign networks may not be recognized automatically.

To do this, a new profile must only be created in the Connection Setup – Profile Management menu.

What Interesting is the possibility to set up a VPN directly on the Huawei B528 router. The WLAN channels can be selected manually. These are automatically assigned by default. The user interface is very similar to Huawei’s other mobile hotspots. The WLAN range is significantly higher than the Huawei E5776 mobile hotspot, which we had tested for comparison.

 

Fast Wireless Internet Connection

The GigaCube supports speeds of up to 300 MBit/s in the downstream via LTE, especially on the LTE-Advanced networks. Also Internet connections can be established with the router via UMTS/HSPA and GPRS/EDGE. In the first test, the Huawei B528 sold by Vodafone GigaCube left a good impression. The setup is intuitively possible (can be seen from the fact that the access data for the 5 GHz, WLAN area must be adjusted later) and the WiFi range is quite comparable to that of a FRITZ! Box 7490, which we had tested at the same Place.

 

The Vodafone GigaCube could serve as a DSL replacement, but less suitable for the more extensive file exchange and intensive streaming. Exciting is the possibility to use any SIM card. Thus, the Huawei B528 GigaCube can also be bought at the comparatively low price from www.4gltemall.com, for example on a holiday abroad, where the GigaCube tariff is not available, can also be used with a local SIM card. And there is newer model Huawei B618 LTE CPE Cube available now, which supports higher level LTE networks.

 

Vodafone GigaCube (Huawei B528) LTE Router Review

At the end of April 2017, Vodafone launched a new LTE CPE called “GigaCube”. Like Vodafone other 4G router, the new router GigaCube also comes from Huawei and the factory model number is B528. The Huawei B528 has a modern LTE modem with CAT6 with support of WLAN hotspot and Gigabit LAN. Today we will show what the router can do and its specifications.

Features and characteristics of Vodafone GigaCube
Manufacturer and type: Huawei B528s-23a
Chipset: HiSilicon Balong 722
LTE category: LTE CAT6 (300 MBit/s)
Download rate up to: 300 MBit
Upload rate up to: 50 MBit
Supported LTE bands 800, 900, 1500, 1800, 2100, 2600 (FDD),
and 2600 MHz(TDD)
Downwards compatible with: GSM, EDGE, HSDPA, DC-HSPA+
Support for LTE-Advanced: Yes
MIMO Support: Yes, 2×2 MIMO
Connection for external antenna: Yes
Network | LAN & WLAN
LAN Ports: 1 x GBit port
WLAN Standards: 802.11 b/g/n/ac (2.4 and 5 GHz)
5 GHz WLAN Support: Yes
Encryption: WPS/WPA/WPA2
WLAN Hotspot Function: Yes, up to 64 users
Others
Telephony VOIP via RJ11 port (eg SIP)
Others
WAN port Yes
IPv6 Dual Stack Yes
Battery pack: No
Dimension: 105 x 90 x 181 mm at 366 g
USB: No
Memory Card Expansion: No
Release: April 2017
Price: From 1 € with Vodafone Cube tariff
available at: »Vodafone and www.4gltemall.com
Information
Quick start guide: » Download (PDF)
Detailed manual: not yet available

 

 

LTE CAT 6 modem

 

The Vodafone GigaCube router, also named Huawei B528s-23a, internally has a modern HiSilicon modem (Balong 722) which supports LTE category 6. In principle, the wireless connection can reach up to 300 MBit/s fast. In the upload, a maximum of 50 MBit/s can be achieved. The chip also supports the most important LTE bands for use in Europe. In detail, the LTE Bands includes band 1, 3, 7, 8, 20 and 32. If the LTE reception is not given, the GigaCube router can also switch to GMS or UMTS/HSDPA. Abroad, Vodafone excludes the use anyway! So you must get the unlocked Vodafone GigaCube if you want to use it abroad.

WLAN function with the GigaCube router

 

The GigaCube also provide the WLAN module supporting up to WLAN ac, so that wireless LAN with gigabit speed is also possible. The hotspot can bring up to 64 devices on the Internet simultaneously. On this point, the B528 is really powerful than its predecessor Huawei E5180 and E5170.

 

Other characteristics

Fortunately, there are two antenna ports on the back of the GigaCube router. According to Vodafone, the focus is on use in the stationary and in remote areas. This means you can use the router both at home as a DSL replacement or just traveling as a mobile Internet connection. Mobile use is officially excluded. Thanks to the antenna connections, the reception strength ​​can also be improved in remote areas via external LTE antenna.  The B528 also does not have an information display, but only 4 Info-LEDs on the front. These give the user the most important back-ups, such as signal strength.

The only annoyance with the GigaCube router is that it was dispensed with even a battery. Thus, a permanent, stationary power supply is required. Also the GigaCube missed an SD card slot or USB port. Telephone is not possible by the way.

 

 

Conclusion

Based on the Huawei B528, Vodafone offers a powerful, modern router for its GigaCube. The model is practical and comes without much fault. Only the missing battery is annoying. We would do the performance test once we get the GigaCube in hand, keep close eye on www.4gltemall.com if you are interested in Vodafone GigaCube or Huawei B528 LTE Cube.

 

Huawei E5186 LTE Advanced Router for Cat6 300Mbps with VoLTE

By the end of 2014, the LTE Advanced networks with 300 MBit/s available in many countries and carriers, and then all need urgently LTE CAT6 enabled routers. Huawei has already introduced its LTE Advanced Router Huawei E5186 to the public around the middle of 2015.

Huawei E5186 E5186S E5186S-22 Router

The Huawei E5186 router is the star for LTE cat6, therefore, the largest LTE mobile network provider Telekom and Vodafone both offeredidentical models to the E5186. It is the Vodafone B4000 router and the Telekom Speedbox LTE III.

As the leading new routers for wireless network, the technical specifications of the Huawei E5186 are absolutely outstanding. LTE support includes all LTE frequency bands used in Europe. The router is also downwards compatible with all common older mobile radio standards. Theoretically, the Huawei router can also be used in an EDGE mobile network. You get a router for all networks.

Huawei E5186 E5186S E5186S-22 Router

By the way, not only the LTE data transfer is super fast, but also the wireless data transmission to the WLAN, 802.11ac standard is currently second to none.

Here the exact technical specifications:

Huawei LTE Advanced router: Huawei E5186s-22 with HiSilicon Category 6 LTE modem

Support LTE:

4G FDD LTE: LTE800/LTE900/LTE1800/LTE2100/LTE2600 with FDD LTE.

4G TDD LTE: LTE 2600 MHz for TDD

These are the LTE bands 1/3/7/8/20/38

FDD speed up to 300 Mbit/s for download

FDD speed of up to 50 Mbit/s for upstream

TDD speed of up to 20 Mbit/s in the upload

Support UMTS/DC-HSPA+/EDGE:

3G: UMTS 900 MHz and UMTS 2100 MHz

DC-HSPA+ speed with up to 42 Mbit/s downstream and 5.7 Mbit/s upload speeds

HSPA+ speed with up to 21 Mbit/s downstream and 5.7 Mbit/s Upload

If even 11 MB/s are provided technically in upload with HSUPA possible

EDGE and GSM with 850/900/1800/1900 MHz

Huawei E5186 E5186S E5186S-22 Router (6)

WLAN support

There can be up to 64 wireless devices connected

WLAN 802.11b/g/n and Wi-Fi 802.11ac with 2.4 GHz and 5 GHz

WLAN encryption WEP, WPA and WPA2

Support WPS

Integrated VoLTE telephone system

Two analog telephone ports with RJ 11 sockets for VoIP SIP Client

Voice over LTE support (VoLTE)

Without DECT and voice mail

Safety

Firewall, encryption, ICMP support, DNS relay support, NAT, watchdog, ARP support

Huawei E5186 E5186S E5186S-22 Router (5)

Antennas

Support 2 x 2 MIMO antenna technology

Internal 2 × 2 MIMO LTE antenna

Connections for two external LTE antennas are the E5186 available

Buy Huawei E5186 External Antenna (two SMA connectors) here: http://www.4gltemall.com/4g-antenna-two-sma-connector.html

Network

LAN switch with 4 x 1 Gigabit Ethernet connections

Interfaces

USB 2.0 port for printers and mass storage

Connector for external antennas through two SMA connectors

2FF SIM slot | Router is no SIM Lock, completely free

Two RJ11 analog phone ports

Four RJ45 network LAN connections

Power supply connection

Huawei E5186 E5186S E5186S-22 Router

Other features

IPV6, CS Voice, http Online Upgrade, Print, VPN, DLNA, TR069 remote management, QoS, UPnP, USB Share

On/off switch on the rear

Dimensions: 194 x 177 x 64 mm

Weight: 450 g

Router Color: white

Software support

Windows 7, Windows 8, Mac OS

Why do you need LTE Advanced?

LTE Advanced is the latest LTE technology with which you can realize the fastest transmission speed with data rates of up to 300 MBit/s. Many carriers all over the world want to introduce LTE Advanced in order to offer their customers faster Internet access experience.

Integrated Huawei VoLTE telephone system

With the Huawei E5186 router, one can connect the telephone via Voice over IP (VOIP). On the router itself, two telephone lines with RJ11 jacks can connect two analogue phones for VoLTE telephone .

Advantages over traditional telephone:

Faster call setup, HD Voice call quality and telephone via the SIM card in the router. And the lucky thing is that many carriers already provide the VoLTE functions in their networks. Then if you want to have better surfing experience, Huawei E5186 is the best key and good partner!

Five LTE Cat6 Home/Office Routers to Recommend

More and more people are enjoying the life with 4G LTE networks, which changes our lives invisibly. Even LTE is more and more popular; many customers are demanding faster surfing speed for large data transmission or online games. And the network providers are not stopping at the current LTE cat3 and cat4 networks. Many carriers are trying to upgrade the current LTE to LTE –Advanced to meet the customers’ requirements for better experience. With the upgraded LTE networks with carrier aggregation, customers can get much faster speed on LTE cat6 than current LTE cat4. Today, we would like to recommend a few LTE Category 6 routers for home or SOHO office.

lte-cat6-max-download-speeds-and-upload-speeds

Huawei B525

Huawei B525 is the latest 4G Router Cat.6 supporting DL speed to 300mbps and upload speed to 50Mbps, please check the details specs below:

Model Huawei B525
Product type LTE WiFi Router with Ethernet port
Category LTE Cat.6
Chipset HiSilicon LTE Cat6 Chipset
Data rates DL 300Mbps/UL 50Mbps
Supported 4G LTE frequency bands B525s-23a: Band  1/3/7/8/20/32/38
B525s-65a: Band  1/3/4/5/7/8/20/19/26/28/32/38/40/41
WLAN 802.11a/b/g/n/ac, dual-band 2.4GHz & 5GHz
Max supported users 64 users
MIMO 2 x 2 MIMO
Connector for external antenna Two, SMA-female jacks
Buy Antenna Huawei B525 external antenna
App management Huawei Hilink APP
SIM Size Micro SIM
Battery NO
Dimensions 163 x 52 x 226 mm
Interfaces * 3 x LAN port(45)
* 1 x LAN/WAN port (45)
* 2 x telephone port(RJ11)
* Two external LTE antenna ports (SMA-J1.5)
* One micro-SIM card slot
* 1 x USB 2.0 port
Datasheet Huawei B525 Datasheet(PDF)
User Manual Huawei B525 User Manual(PDF)
Other features  Firewall, CS Voice, VoIP, TR069 Remote Management, HTTP Online Upgrade, QoS, USB Share, UPnP, IPV6, DLNA, Fax, Print, VPN
Firmware download Huawei B525 firmware
Driver Huawei B525 driver
Reviews Huawei B525 Review
Price/USD 259.00USD

Huawei B525 is the best buy Cat6 WiFi router, if you want to buy it, click here: https://www.4gltemall.com/huawei-b525-4g-lte-cat6-wireless-router.html

Huawei E5186

Huawei E5186 is the world’s first 4G LTE Cat6 router for LTE advanced networks. With the carrier aggregation technology, users can access internet and surfing at 300mbps download speed and 50Mbps upload. The download speed is almost double faster than that from LTE CAT4, which could achieve download speed to 150mbps. To support various LTE frequency bands from different carriers, the Huawei E5186 CPE has two sub-models now as below:

* Huawei E5186s-22a: LTE Band 1/3/7/8/20/38 (FDD 800/900/1800/2100/2600MHz, TDD 2600MHz)

Huawei E5186s-61a: LTE Band 3/7/28/40 (FDD 700/1800/2600MHz TDD 2300MHz)

huawei_e5186_4g_router_lte_cat6

Of course, the 3G DC-HSPA+/UMTS and quad-band GSM networks are backward compatible. The WiFi standard is 802.11a/b/g/n/ac on dual bands (2.4GHz and 5GHz). What’s more, the Huawei E5186 could support up to 64 wireless devices to access the internet through WiFi. And there are four RJ45 ports for LAN, one of which is also for WAN. Two RJ11 ports are for a telephone. One USB port and one SIM card slot are available. There is also the possibility to connect an external antenna to the E1586 router, on the back, there are two connectors for external antennas.

 

Huawei E5186 is a typical 4G LTE Router and as we know, it’s the best seller of LTE Cat6 router. If you want to know more details about it, click here: http://www.4gltemall.com/huawei-e5186-4g-cat6-802-11ac-lte-cpe.html

 

 

Huawei E5175

Very few people know the Huawei E5175 LTE Router perhaps because it’s also not listed in Huawei official site. And we also don’t get any information about the router available for any network providers. Perhaps it’s just a test model? We can’t get the answer.

huawei-e5175-e5175s-22-lte-cat6-router

The appearance of Huawei E5175 is similar to Huawei E5186, especially the interface ports, almost copying from E5186. It’s said Huawei E5175 is presented earlier than E5186, but it’s about to end of life. The Huawei E5175 technical specifications are the same as that of E5186 router.

If you want to know more details about Huawei E5175 4G Router, welcome to click here: http://www.4gltemall.com/huawei-e5175-4g-lte-wireless-gateway.html

 

 

Vodafone B4000

If you are familiar with Huawei wireless gateways, you may know the Vodafone B4000 is the customized Huawei E5186. The predecessor model Vodafone B3000 comes from Huawei B593s-22. On the Vodafone router, the Huawei logo is changed to Vodafone. And the firmware is customized for Vodafone. Other features and functions are completely the same as Huawei E5186.

vodafone-b4000

So if you don’t like the Vodafone brand, Huawei E5186 could fully replace Vodafone B4000. If you want to know more details about Vodafone B4000, click here: http://www.4gltemall.com/vodafone-b4000-4g-lte-cat6-wifi-router.html

 

ZTE MF286

ZTE is always following the steps of Huawei and presents similar products to huawei. So the appearance of ZTE MF286 somewhat looks like Huawei E5186. The interfaces in MF286 are the same to E5186. The chipset of ZTE MF286 is Qualcomm WTR3925 and MDM9230. But Huawei E5186 is on its own chipset. The highlight of ZTE MF286 is that there is an inserted battery with 3000mAh, which means user can take MF286 outdoor or on the go. Other features are similar to E5186. We usually say ZTE is copying Huawei, but we also see the innovation in ZTE products.

zte-mf286-lte-cat6-4g-router

If you want to know more details about ZTE MF286, click here:

http://www.4gltemall.com/zte-mf286-4g-lte-cat6-router.html

 

 

ZyXEL LTE4506 

Unlike the three LTE routers above, the ZyXEL LTE4506 is in the shape of cube, which looks like Huawei E5180 LTE Cube. LTE4506 can support up to 32 wireless users. There is a micro-USB connector for charging and a Gigabit LAN port, for connecting wired devices. Frankly speaking, the design of the ZyXEL LTE4506 is cool, if you want to know more details about it, click here:

http://www.4gltemall.com/zyxel-lte4506-4g-lte-cat6-router.html

zyxel-lte4506-lte-homespot

 

We believe there will be more LTE Cat6 router available in near future, but currently the above the five LTE routers are the best for LTE advanced networks with CA. There is no doubt that Huawei is dominating this LTE advanced technology. In the above routers, Huawei E5186 is the most popular and mostly recommended. But before you get the right one, check the network compatibility first with your carriers.